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Topol m warhead. Topol and Topol-m missile systems

The RT-2PM2 rocket is designed as a three-stage rocket with a powerful mixed solid fuel power plant and fiberglass body. It does not have lattice stabilizers or rudders. The launch weight of the RT-2PM2 rocket is more than 47 tons. The length of the rocket is 22.7 m, the length without the head part is 17.5 m. The maximum diameter of the body is 1.86 m. The weight of the head part is 1.2 tons. The maximum firing range is 11,000 km.

Poplar is a launch vehicle, the destruction radius depends on the warhead, if it is a nuclear warhead, there are many more factors in the size of the affected area, ranging from power, type of explosion, terrain, weather conditions, state air masses and a number of other factors.

Calculation of the affected area

During a ground-based nuclear explosion, a crater is formed on the surface of the earth, the size of which depends on the power of the explosion and the type of soil.

For example, for a bomb with a 1MT TNT equivalent, the diameter of the crater will be 380 m. The depth of the crater will be approximately 40-60 m.

The source of nuclear damage is characterized by:
A) mass destruction people and animals;
b) destruction and damage to ground buildings and structures;
c) partial destruction, damage or blockage of protective structures of civil defense;
d) the occurrence of individual, continuous and massive fires;
e) the formation of complete and partial blockages of streets, driveways, and intra-block areas;
f) the occurrence of massive accidents in public utility networks;
g) the formation of areas and stripes of radioactive contamination of the area during a ground explosion.

The radius of damage from a shock wave, light radiation and penetrating radiation from a ground explosion is somewhat smaller than from an air explosion. Characteristic feature ground explosion is strong radioactive contamination terrain both in the area of the explosion and in the direction of movement of the radioactive cloud.

To calculate, enter the TNT equivalent in MT into register X and press S/P. After the calculation is completed, in RT - the radius of the zone of complete destruction in km, in RZ and RY, respectively, the radii of the zones of strong and weak destruction in km, in RX - the initial value TNT equivalent in MT.

Americans have nothing to respond to the Russian Topol-M

Russian nuclear rocket Topol-M has a destruction radius of 10 thousand km, its striking power is 75 times greater than that of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

After Russia supplied its army with 10 new intercontinental ballistic missiles with a destruction radius of 10 thousand km, analysts began talking about the possible start of a new nuclear race between former Cold War rivals Washington and Moscow. Moreover, the Russian Federation already has 46 such Topol missiles installed throughout the state.

Last weekend, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the new Topol-M missiles based in the Saratov region are ready for use if necessary. Experts call these missiles “weapons of the 21st century” or “weapons of the future.”

The outstanding capabilities of the Topols are not hidden by the command of the Russian armed forces, claiming that they are capable of carrying out unprecedented maneuvers, bypassing any anti-missile system, including electromagnetic strikes, on which the current one is based. American system PRO.

As British analyst Duncan Lamont writes in the November issue of the prestigious publication Jane's Strategic Weapons Systems, "Topol-M" and "Bulava" are ballistic missiles of a completely new class, capable of maneuvering both during the march and during the final phase of flight, which gives them the ability to bypass any ground systems Missile defense, even those located in Alaska and California.”

What are Topol M rockets?

This is not even a missile, but a complete Russian missile system for strategic purposes. The complex includes the missile itself and the launch vehicle itself. The missile can carry one thermonuclear warhead. In 2011 Russian ministry defense abandoned this outdated complex in favor of more advanced systems. But the missile system is still at combat duty and mainly in Taman.

Apparently, this is a ballistic missile, judging by the abbreviation M, it should be intercontinental, a formidable thing is launched from special underground mines, the damage radius is about 11 kilometers, one of the main nuclear missiles in Russia with a power of 550 kilotons

Unpeaceful atom

The Topol-M missile system was developed in two versions: silo-based and as a self-propelled launcher. The complex is armed with fifth-generation intercontinental ballistic missiles RT-2PM2 and RT-2PM1, developed by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering and capable of carrying a nuclear charge.

Missiles have increased protection against damaging factors nuclear explosion, a powerful system for overcoming enemy missile defense systems, and can be effectively used to defeat planned and unplanned targets. The silo-based version of the missile was put into service in April 2000, and the mobile version in December 2006.

The RT-2PM1 and RT-2PM2 missiles consist of three stages and operate on solid fuel. Their length reaches 21 meters, diameter - 1.8 meters, and weight - 47.2 tons. The mass of the missile head is 1.2 tons, the mass of the thermonuclear warhead is 550 kilograms. The missile is capable of hitting targets within a radius of up to 11.5 thousand kilometers.

Currently the Rocket Forces strategic purpose Russia is switching to the latest Yars missile systems with RS-24 missiles. In the future, mobile Yars will replace Topol-M. Only Topolis are planned to remain in service. mine-based.

Sources: otvet.mail.ru, mk.semico.ru, www.km.ru, www.bolshoyvopros.ru, lenta.ru

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Having covered 11 thousand kilometers, the missile fired from Plesetsk accurately hit the target

On April 20, 2004 at 21.30 Moscow time there was historical event in the life of the Strategic Missile Forces “defeated in their rights” in the 90s. For the first time in 15 years, an intercontinental ballistic missile was test launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome into the Hawaiian Islands to a maximum range of more than 11 thousand kilometers. Up to this point, all launches were “home” launches. The missile that flew to distant lands was a mobile-based 15Zh65 Topol-M.

Evolution of ICBMs

Since the late 60s, Soviet and American designers of national nuclear missile shields have taken different paths. The Americans calmed down by creating Minuteman solid-fuel ballistic missiles in 1970 and burying them in the ground. That is, the missiles were placed in the silos once and for all. And to this day it is they, put into service back in 1970, that represent the ground segment of the US nuclear forces.

Soviet rocket scientists constantly not only modernized existing liquid-fuel rockets, but also created new types. This applied not only to the design, but also to their basing. At first, ICBMs were openly located at the launch pads of the Kapustin Yar test site. Then ICBMs began to be placed in mines. And this was also not the best option in terms of missile survivability. Quite soon, the coordinates of the mines were marked on US strategic maps and entered into the computers of missiles aimed at the USSR.

And in the early 70s, the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering made a revolution in rocketry. And if the name of S.P. Korolev, who made a huge contribution to the creation of rocket technology for space purposes, is well known to everyone, then few people know about Alexander Davidovich Nadiradze (1914 - 1987), a long-time former general designer MIT (formerly it was called NII-1 of the Ministry of Defense Industry). It was thanks to him that a unique class of missiles appeared in the country.

Rockets are flying across the country

In the mid-70s, the Temp-2S (SS-16) mobile ground-based missile systems developed by MIT began to arrive at the Strategic Missile Forces. These ICBMs, mounted on a MAZ chassis, had an impressive range of 10,500 km and a powerful warhead of 1.6 Mt. Temp-2S had two fundamental advantages that Soviet launch systems did not have before.

Firstly, they constantly moved, changing their location. Therefore, they were inaccessible to preemptive enemy missile attacks. American land-based ICBMs still do not have this advantage.

Secondly, the missiles used were solid fuel. They are simpler and safer to operate than liquid fuel ICBMs. They have increased reliability and reduced preparation time for launch.

The last “Soviet” product of MIT, created in conditions of economic and organizational stability, was the Topol mobile strategic missile system with a three-stage solid-fuel rocket 15Zh58. It was put into service in 1988.

Based on the Topol, a more advanced RT-2PM2 Topol-M complex was created. It is unique both in its tactical and technical capabilities and in the conditions in which the development took place. The RT-2PM2 entered service in 2000, becoming the first ICBM in history to be created under “inhuman conditions.” The complex began to be developed in the late 80s, when funding in the industry sharply decreased, and was put to testing when the industry was practically in ruins. The situation was aggravated by the collapse of the USSR. For example, the most important participant in the project - the Dnepropetrovsk Yuzhnoye Design Bureau - dropped out of the game in the early 90s.

"Topol-M" has two modifications - mine-based and mobile. It turned out to be easier to install the rocket into the silo - this stage of design and subsequent testing was completed in 1997. Three years later, the mobile launcher was ready. And its official operation in parts of the Strategic Missile Forces began in 2005, a year after the rocket flew to the Hawaiian Islands.

Tests of the missile demonstrated its highest reliability, exceeding the results of tests of other types of missiles. From December 1994 to November 2014, 16 test launches were carried out, both from silo installations and from mobile ones. Only one of them was unsuccessful. In this case, the rocket did not explode, but deviated from the target in flight and was eliminated.

Tricky modernization

The designers had to show maximum ingenuity to get around the slingshots placed by the START-2 Treaty. MIT did not have the right to create a new rocket; Topol-M was declared as a modernization of Topol. The upgraded ICBM should not differ from the original one in any of the following ways:

Number of steps;

Type of fuel for each stage;

Starting weight (no more than 10 percent deviation);

Rocket length (no more than 10 percent deviation);

Diameter of the first stage (no more than 5 percent deviation);

Throwing weight (no more than 5 percent deviation).

In connection with this performance characteristics the Topol-M complex could not undergo significant changes relative to the Topol complex. And the designers concentrated their main efforts on creating a rocket with unique abilities overcoming enemy missile defense.

Moreover, due to the use in a rocket latest technologies the designers managed to significantly increase its energy capabilities. Thus, the bodies of all three stages are made by winding a “cocoon” from a composite material. This made the rocket lighter and made it possible to throw a larger payload of warheads.

This also had a beneficial effect on flight dynamics. The operating time of the main engines of three stages is 3 minutes. Due to the rapid increase in speed, the vulnerability of the missile in the active part of the trajectory is reduced. An effective control system for several auxiliary engines and rudders ensures maneuver in flight, making the trajectory unpredictable for the enemy.

The fight against missile defense

The Topol-M is equipped with a new type of maneuvering warhead with a yield of 550 kt. At the stage of factory testing, it was capable of overcoming US missile defense with a probability of up to 60% - 65%. Now this figure has been increased to 80%.

The new warhead is more resistant to damaging factors nuclear explosion and to the effects of weapons based on new physical principles. It should be noted that it was completely simulated on a supercomputer and, for the first time in domestic practice, was created without testing components and parts during full-scale explosions.

The missile is equipped with a set of missile defense breakthrough means, which include passive and active decoys, as well as means of distorting the characteristics of the warhead. False targets are indistinguishable from warheads in all ranges of electromagnetic radiation: optical, radar, infrared. They simulate the characteristics of the warhead on the downward portion of the flight path so reliably that they are able to withstand super-resolution radar stations. Means for distorting the characteristics of a warhead include radio-absorbing coatings, infrared radiation simulators, and radio jammers.

The launcher weighing 120 tons is placed on an eight-axle chassis with high cross-country ability of wheeled tractors from the Minsk plant. The missile is housed in a fiberglass transport and launch container. The launch is of the mortar type: with the engine turned off, the rocket is pushed out of the container by powder gases to a height of several meters. In the air it is deflected using a powder accelerator. And after this, the main engine is turned on to avoid damage to the launcher by the gas jet of the first stage main engine.

The number of Topol-M complexes on combat duty in the RSVN annually increases by 5-6 units. Now there are 60 mine-based complexes and 18 mobile ones. At the same time, the army has already received a new, more advanced Yars complex, the missile of which is equipped with three warheads with individual guidance. It managed to further reduce the time of the active part of the trajectory, increase shooting accuracy and the likelihood of overcoming missile defense.

TTX complexes"Topol-M", "Yars" and "Minuteman-3"

Number of steps: 3 - 3 - 3
Engine type: Solid propellant rocket motor - Solid propellant rocket motor - Solid propellant rocket motor
Location: mobile, mine - mobile, mine - mine

Length: 22.5 m - 22.5 m - 18.2 m
Diameter: 1.86 m - 1.86 m - 1.67 m
Weight: 46500 kg - 47200 kg - 35400 kg

Throwing weight: 1200 kg - 1250 kg - 1150 kg
Charge power: 550 kt - 4x150-300 kt or 10x150 kt - 3x0.3 Mt

Range: 11,000 km - 12,000 km - 13,000 km
Maximum deviation from target: 200 m - 150 m - 280 m
Time of the active part of the trajectory: 3 min - 2.5 - n/a
Trajectory: flat - flat - high

Year of adoption: 2000 - 2009 - 1970.

RT-2PM2 “Topol-M” (Strategic Missile Forces AAM Index - 15P165 (mine) and 15P155 (mobile), according to the START Treaty - RS-12M2, according to NATO classification - SS-27 Sickle B, translated - Serp) - Russian missile system strategic purpose with ICBM 15Zh65 (15Zh55 - PGRK), developed in the late 1980s - early 1990s on the basis of the RT-2PM Topol complex. The first ICBM developed in Russia after the collapse of the USSR.

RT-2PM2 "Topol-M" - video of rocket launch

The 15Zh65 (15Zh55) rocket is three-stage, solid fuel. Maximum range - 11,000 km. Carries one thermonuclear warhead with a power of 550 kt. The silo-based version was put into service in 2000. In the next decade, Topol-M was to become the basis of the armament of the Strategic Missile Forces.
In 2011, the Russian Ministry of Defense abandoned further purchases of Topol-M missile systems in favor of the further deployment of the RS-24 Yars ICBM with MIRVs, although silo-based ones were put on combat duty launchers The Topol-M of the last, sixth regiment of the 60th Missile Division was planned to be completed in 2012.

Development of Topol-M

Work on the creation of a new complex began in the mid-1980s. The resolution of the Military-Industrial Commission of September 9, 1989 ordered the creation of two missile systems (stationary and mobile) and a universal solid-fuel three-stage intercontinental ballistic missile for them. This development work was called “Universal”, the complex being developed was designated RT-2PM2. The development of the complex was carried out jointly by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering and the Dnepropetrovsk Yuzhnoye Design Bureau.

In March 1992, it was decided to develop the Topol-M complex based on developments under the Universal program (in April, Yuzhnoye ceased its participation in work on the complex). By decree of Boris Yeltsin of February 27, 1993, MIT became the lead enterprise for the development of Topol-M. It was decided to develop a unified missile with only one variant of combat equipment - with a solid fuel combat stage propulsion system. The control system was developed at the Automation and Instrumentation Research and Production Center, the combat unit was developed at the Sarov VNIIEF.

Testing of the rocket began in 1994. The first launch was carried out from a silo launcher at the Plesetsk cosmodrome on December 20, 1994. In 1997, after four successful launches Serial production of these missiles has begun. The act on the adoption of the Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile into service by the Strategic Missile Forces of the Russian Federation was approved by the State Commission on April 28, 2000, and the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation on the adoption of the DBK into service was signed by Vladimir Putin in the summer of 2000, after which the mobile ground-based missile system entered flight tests (PGRK) based on the eight-axle chassis MZKT-79221. The first launch from a mobile launcher was carried out on September 27, 2000.
The complex is produced by JSC Votkinsk Plant and Central Design Bureau Titan.

Placement Topol-M

The placement of the first missiles in modified silos used for UR-100N missiles (15A30, RS-18, SS-19 Stiletto) began in 1997.
On December 25, 1997, the first two 15Zh65 missiles (launch minimum) of the first regiment in the Strategic Missile Forces armed with the 15P065-35 missile system - the 104th Missile Regiment - were delivered to experimental combat duty in the 60th Missile Division (Tatishchevo township). And on December 30, 1998, the 104th Missile Regiment (commander - Lieutenant Colonel Yu. S. Petrovsky) took up combat duty with a full complement of 10 silo launchers with silo-based Topol-M ICBMs. Four more regiments with silo-based Topol-M ICBMs entered combat duty on December 10, 1999, December 26, 2000 (re-equipment from 15P060), December 21, 2003 and December 9, 2005.

The process of rearmament to a mobile-based complex began on November 21, 2005 in the 54th Guards Missile Division (Teykovo), when two divisions and a mobile command post (PKP) of the 321st Missile Regiment (321 rp) were decommissioned. A year later, in November 2006, 321 rp went on experimental combat duty as part of one division (3 launchers) and the PKP of the missile regiment at the Topol-M complex. The 1st missile division and PKP 321 rp went on combat duty on December 10, 2006 at 15:00. At the same time, it became known that President Vladimir Putin had signed a new state program weapons until 2015, which provides for the purchase of 69 Topol-M ICBMs.

In 2008, Nikolai Solovtsov announced the beginning in the near future of equipping Topol-M missiles with multiple warheads (MRV). Equipping Topol-M with MIRVs will be the most important way to maintain Russia's nuclear potential. Topol-M with MIRVs began entering service in 2010.

In April 2009, the commander of the Strategic Missile Forces, Nikolai Solovtsov, announced that the production of Topol-M mobile ground-based missile systems would be stopped, and more advanced systems would be supplied to the Strategic Missile Forces.

The 54th Missile Division's location continued to be modernized as of 2010. As of the end of 2012, there were 60 silo-based and 18 mobile-based Topol-M missiles on combat duty. All silo-based missiles are on combat duty in the Taman Missile Division (Svetly, Saratov Region).

The RT-2PM2 stationary complex includes 10 15Zh65 intercontinental ballistic missiles mounted in silo launchers 15P765-35 (converted 15P735 and 15P718 silos of 15A35 and 15A18M missiles) or 15P765-60 (converted 15Zh60 missile silos) paragraph 15B222.
The autonomous launcher 15U175 of the mobile complex consists of one 15Zh55 missile placed in a high-strength fiberglass TPK mounted on an eight-axle MZKT-79221 chassis.

The 15Zh65 (15Zh55) rocket consists of three stages with solid propellant propulsion engines. Marching steps are made of composites using cocoon-type winding. All three stages are equipped with a rotating nozzle to deflect the thrust vector (there are no lattice aerodynamic rudders). The first stage has a thrust of 100 tons, a mass of 26 tons, of which the mass of the stage is 3 tons, a length of 8.5 m, and an operating time of 60 seconds. The second stage has a thrust of 50 tons, a mass of 13 tons, of which 1.5 tons is the stage, length is 6 m, the stage operating time is 64 s. The third stage has a thrust of 25t, a mass of 6t, of which 1t is the stage, length 3.1 m, operating time 56s.

The launch method is mortar for both options. The rocket's sustaining solid-propellant engine allows it to gain speed much faster than previous types of rockets of a similar class created in Russia and the Soviet Union. This makes it much more difficult for missile defense systems to intercept it during the active phase of the flight.

The missile is equipped with a detachable warhead with one thermonuclear warhead with a capacity of 550 kt of TNT equivalent. The warhead is also equipped with a set of means to overcome missile defense. The missile defense system consists of passive and active decoys, as well as means of distorting the characteristics of the warhead. Several dozen auxiliary correction engines, instruments and control mechanisms allow the warhead to maneuver along the trajectory, making it difficult to intercept it at the final part of the trajectory. Some sources claim that LCs are indistinguishable from warheads in all ranges of electromagnetic radiation (optical, infrared, radar).

In connection with the termination of the START-2 treaty, which prohibited the creation of multi-charge intercontinental ballistic missiles, MIT carried out work to equip Topol-M with multiple independently targetable warheads. Perhaps the result of this work is the RS-24 Yars.
Engineering support and camouflage vehicles.

In 2013, the first 12 engineering support and camouflage (MIOM) vehicles (9 of them in the Teikov Missile Division) entered service with the Topol-M mobile missile systems. The machines provide camouflage (covering) of traces of mobile combat missile systems that are on duty, as well as the creation of high-contrast traces to false combat positions that are clearly visible from satellites.

Tests Topol-M

Flight tests of the silo-based version of the missile were carried out in the period from 1994 to 2000, and with their completion, tests of the mobile version of the complex were carried out in the period 2000-2004.

Testing of combat equipment

Despite the completion of tests of the missile system and the placement of serial equipment on combat duty, work to improve the complex continued in the direction of developing combat equipment (warheads), while the modified Topol complex missile was used as a carrier, as follows:

November 1, 2005 from the Kapustin Yar training ground in Astrakhan region The RT-2PM Topol missile was successfully launched as part of testing elements of new combat equipment - a single warhead, a number of newly developed elements of a complex of means to overcome missile defense and a launch stage, on which up to six warheads can be mounted, while the launch stage is unified for installations on sea-based (Bulava) and ground-based (Topol-M) ICBMs.

Flight testing of the new warhead on a standard missile of the RT-2PM complex was combined with tests in the interests of extending the warranty service life of the Topol. For the first time in Russian practice, the launch was carried out not from the Plesetsk cosmodrome at the Kura test site in Kamchatka, but from the Kapustin Yar test site at the 10th Sary-Shagan test site located in Kazakhstan (Priozersk region). This was done due to the fact that the radar support of the Kura test site does not allow recording the maneuvers performed by the warheads after they are separated from the ICBMs. In addition, these maneuvers are monitored by American measuring instruments located in Alaska. Flight parameters from Kapustin Yar to Sary-Shagan are maintained exclusively by Russian control means.

Performance characteristics of the RT-2PM2 "Topol-M" complex

Number of steps......................3
Length (with warhead)....................22.55 m
Length (without warhead)....................17.5 m
Diameter.........................1.81 m
Launch weight......46.5 t
Throwing weight......................1.2 t
Type of fuel......................solid mixed
Maximum range......................11000 km
Warhead type......................monoblock, thermonuclear, detachable
Number of combat units.........................1 (+ ~20 decoys)
Charge power.........................0.55 Mt
Control system......................autonomous, inertial based on BCVC
Method of basing......................mine and mobile
Launch history
Status........active
Launch locations.........................1 GIK "Plesetsk",
Number of launches.........................16 (successful - 15; unsuccessful - 1)
Adopted into service......................1997
First launch.........................December 20, 1994

Photo Topol-M

On August 6th, 1945, the first nuclear weapon was used against the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later, the city of Nagasaki was subjected to a second strike, and currently the last in human history. They tried to justify these bombings on the grounds that they ended the war with Japan and prevented further losses of millions of lives. In total, the two bombs killed approximately 240,000 people and ushered in a new atomic age. From 1945 until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the world experienced cold war and constant anticipation of the possible nuclear strike between the United States and the Soviet Union. During this time, the parties built thousands of nuclear weapons, from small bombs and cruise missiles, to large intercontinental ballistic warheads (ICBMs) and Seaborne Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs). Britain, France and China have added their own nuclear arsenals to this stockpile. Today, the fear of nuclear annihilation is much less than in the 1970s, but several countries still possess large arsenals of these destructive weapons.

Despite agreements aimed at limiting the number of missiles, nuclear powers continue to develop and improve their stockpiles and delivery methods. Advances in the development of missile defense systems have led some countries to increase the development of new and more effective missiles. There is a threat of a new arms race between the world's superpowers. This list contains the ten most destructive nuclear missile systems currently in service in the world. Accuracy, range, number of warheads, warhead yield and mobility are the factors that make these systems so destructive and dangerous. This list is presented in no particular order because these nuclear missiles do not always share the same mission or purpose. One missile may be designed to destroy a city, while another type may be designed to destroy enemy missile silos. Additionally, this list does not include missiles currently being tested or not officially deployed. Thus, India's Agni-V and China's JL-2 missile systems, which are being tested step by step and ready for use this year, are not included. Israel's Jericho III is also not included, since little is known about this missile at all. It is important to keep in mind when reading this list that the size of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs were equivalent to 16 kilotons (x1000) and 21 kilotons TNT respectively.

M51, France

After the United States and Russia, France deploys the third largest nuclear arsenal in the world. In addition to nuclear bombs and cruise missiles, France relies on its SLBMs as its primary nuclear deterrent. The M51 missile is the most advanced component. It entered service in 2010 and is currently installed on the Triomphant class of submarines. The missile has a range of approximately 10,000 km and is capable of carrying 6 to 10 warheads per 100 kt. The circular deviation probable (CEP) of the missile is noted to be between 150 and 200 meters. This means that the warhead has a 50% chance of striking within 150-200 meters of the target. The M51 is equipped with a variety of systems that make attempts to intercept warheads much more difficult.

DF-31/31A, China

The Dong Feng 31 is a road-mobile and bunker-series intercontinental ICBM system deployed by China since 2006. The original model of this missile carried a large 1 megaton warhead and had a range of 8,000 km. The probable deflection of the missile is 300 m. The improved 31 A has three 150 kt warheads and is capable of covering a distance of 11,000 km, with a probable deflection of 150 m. An additional fact is that these missiles can be moved and launched from a mobile launch vehicle, which makes them even more dangerous.

Topol-M, Russia

Known as the SS-27 by NATO, the Topol-M was introduced into Russian service in 1997. The ICBM is based in bunkers, but several Topols are also mobile. The missile is currently armed with a single 800 kt warhead, but can be equipped with a maximum of six warheads and decoys. With a maximum speed of 7.3 km per second, a relatively flat flight path and a probable deflection of approximately 200 m, the Topol-M is a very effective nuclear missile that is difficult to stop in flight. The difficulty of tracking mobile units makes it more effective system weapons worthy of this list.

RS-24 Yars, Russia

The Bush Administration's plans to develop a missile defense network in Eastern Europe have angered leaders in the Kremlin. Despite the statement that the shield for protection against external impacts is not intended against Russia, Russian leaders viewed it as a threat to their own security and decided to develop a new ballistic missile. The result was the development of the RS-24 Yars. This missile is closely related to the Topol-M, but delivers four warheads of 150-300 kilotons and has a deflection of 50 m. Sharing many of the features of the Topol, the Yars can also change direction in flight and carries decoys, making interception by missile defense systems extremely difficult .

LGM-30G Minuteman III, USA

It is the only land-based ICBM deployed by the United States. First deployed in 1970, the LGM-30G Minuteman III was to be replaced by the MX Peacekeeper. That program was canceled and the Pentagon instead spent $7 billion to update and modernize the existing 450 Active systems LGM-30G over the past decade. With a speed of almost 8 km/s and a deflection of less than 200 m (the exact number is strictly classified), the old Minuteman remains formidable nuclear weapons. This missile initially delivered three small warheads. Today, a single warhead of 300-475 kt is used.

RSM 56 Bulava, Russia

The RSM 56 Bulava naval ballistic missile is in Russian service. From the point of view of naval missiles Soviet Union and Russia are somewhat behind the United States in performance and ability. To correct this shortcoming, the Bulava was created, a more recent addition to the Russian submarine arsenal. The missile was developed for the new Borei-class submarine. After numerous failures during the testing phase, Russia accepted the missile into service in 2013. The Bulava is currently equipped with six 150 kt warheads, although reports say it can carry as many as 10. Like most modern ballistic missiles, the RSM 56 carries multiple decoys to increase survivability in the face of missile defense. The range is approximately 8,000 km when fully loaded, with an estimated deviation of 300-350 meters.

R-29RMU2 Liner, Russia

The newest development in Russian weaponry, the Liner has been in service since 2014. The missile is effectively an updated version of the previous Russian SLBM (Sineva R-29RMU2), designed to make up for the problems and some shortcomings of the Bulava. The liner has a range of 11,000 km and can carry a maximum of twelve warheads of 100 kt each. Warhead payload can be reduced and replaced with decoys to improve survivability. The warhead's deflection is kept secret, but is likely similar to the 350 meters of the Mace.

UGM-133 Trident II, USA

The current SLBM of the US and British submarine forces is the Trident II. The missile has been in service since 1990 and has been updated and modernized since then. Fully equipped, Trident can carry 14 warheads on board. This number was later reduced and the missile currently delivers 4-5 475 kt warheads. The maximum range depends on the warhead load and varies between 7,800 and 11,000 km. The US Navy required a deflection probability of no more than 120 meters for the missile to be accepted for service. Numerous reports and military journals often state that the Trident's deflection actually exceeded this requirement by a fairly significant factor.

DF-5/5A, China

Compared to other missiles on this list, the Chinese DF-5/5A can be considered a gray workhorse. The rocket does not stand out either in appearance or in complexity, but at the same time it is capable of completing any given task. The DF-5 entered service in 1981 as a message to any potential enemies that China was not planning preemptive strikes but would punish anyone who attacked it. This ICBM can carry a huge 5 mt warhead and has a range of over 12,000 km. The DF-5 has a deflection of approximately 1 km, which means that the missile has one purpose - to destroy cities. Warhead size, deflection and the fact that it full preparation Taking just an hour to fire up, all this means is that the DF-5 is a punitive weapon, designed to punish any would-be attackers. The 5A version has increased range, improved 300m deflection and the ability to carry multiple warheads.

R-36M2 "Voevoda"

R-36M2 “Voevoda” is a missile that in the West is called nothing less than Satan, and there are good reasons for this. First deployed in 1974, the Dnepropetrovsk-developed R-36 has undergone many changes since then, including the relocation of the warhead. The latest modification of this missile, the R-36M2 can carry ten 750 kt warheads and has a range of approximately 11,000 km. With a maximum speed of almost 8 km/s and a probable deflection of 220 m, Satan is a weapon that has caused great concern to US military planners. There would have been much more concern if Soviet planners had been given the green light to deploy one version of this missile, which would have had 38 250 kt warheads. Russia plans to retire all of these missiles by 2019.

In continuation, visit a selection of the most powerful weapons in history, which contains not only missiles.

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The modernized Topol-M missile system is the first missile system created only Russian enterprises, forms the core of the entire grouping of the Strategic Missile Forces.

It is on him that great hopes are placed in preserving and maintaining nuclear potential at the required level to guarantee the preservation of the country's security. The missile system is unique and is approximately 1.5 times superior to the previous generation complex in terms of combat readiness, maneuverability and survivability (in a mobile version), and effectiveness in hitting various targets, including in the context of missile defense deployment. The energy capabilities of the new missile make it possible to increase the throw weight, significantly reduce the height of the active part of the trajectory, and increase the efficiency of overcoming promising missile defense systems.

rocket launcher Topol-M (Modernized)

The Topol-M complex has absorbed the existing domestic scientific and technical background and the achievements of domestic rocket science. Experts say: everything that relates to the process of its development, testing, and its tactical and technical characteristics is defined by the word “for the first time.” For the first time, a completely unified missile is being created for highly protected silo and mobile ground-based missiles. First implemented new system experimental testing, in which high-standard operating modes of systems and assemblies of the missile complex are used during ground and flight tests. This made it possible to sharply reduce the traditional volume of testing, reduce costs, without losing reliability.

Topol-M is the result of further modification of the Topol complex and is equipped with a more advanced RS-2PM2 (15Zh65) missile.
As a result of the restrictions imposed on modernization by the main provisions of the START-2 treaty, the tactical and technical characteristics of the Topol-M complex missile could not undergo significant changes and the main differences from the RS-2PM lie in the flight characteristics and stability when penetrating possible enemy missile defense systems .The warhead was initially created taking into account the possibility of rapid modernization in case probable enemy existing missile defense systems. It is technically possible to install a warhead with multiple independently targetable warheads. Tests were also carried out on the third stage, equipped with ramjet hypersonic atmospheric engines.

Thanks to three improved solid fuel propulsion engines, the RS-12M2 missile's active flight phase has been reduced several times, and auxiliary engines, instruments and control mechanisms make its flight difficult to predict for the enemy. The RS-12M2, unlike its predecessor, does not have lattice aerodynamic stabilizers, uses an improved guidance system (insensitive to powerful electromagnetic pulses), and uses a more efficient mixed charge.

The missile was supposed to be unified for both types of complexes, but the original project assumed a difference in the warhead breeding system. The combat stage for the silo-based missile was to be equipped with a liquid rocket engine using the promising PRONIT monopropellant. For mobile vehicles, MIT developed a solid fuel propulsion system. There were also differences in the transport and launch container. For the mobile complex it had to be made of fiberglass. For a stationary one - made of metal, with a number of ground equipment systems mounted on it. Therefore, the rocket for the mobile complex received the index 15Zh55, and for the stationary complex - 15Zh65.
In March 1992, it was decided to develop the Topol-M complex based on developments under the Universal program (in April, Yuzhnoye ceased its participation in work on the complex). By decree of Boris Yeltsin of February 27, 1993, MIT became the lead enterprise for the development of Topol-M. It was decided to develop a unified missile with only one variant of combat equipment - with a solid fuel combat stage propulsion system. The control system was developed at NPO Automation and Instrument Making, the combat unit was developed at the Sarov VNIIEF. The production of missiles was launched at the Votkinsk Machine-Building Plant.

Testing of the rocket began in 1994. The first launch was carried out from a silo launcher at the Plesetsk cosmodrome on December 20, 1994. In 1997, after four successful launches, serial production of these missiles began. The act on the adoption of the Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile into service by the Strategic Missile Forces of the Russian Federation was approved by the State Commission on April 28, 2000, and the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation on the adoption of the DBK into service was signed by Vladimir Putin in the summer of 2000, after which the mobile ground-based missile system entered flight tests (PGRK) based on the eight-axle chassis MZKT-79221. The first launch from a mobile launcher was carried out on September 27, 2000.

Rocket 15Zh65

The 15Zh65 rocket of the Topol-M complex is three-stage. All three stages of the rocket are solid fuel, of the “cocoon” type (solidly wound from a composite material). Flight control, due to the absence of aerodynamic and gas rudders, is carried out by rotating nozzles of the main engines. The nozzles of the propulsion engines are made of carbon-carbon composite.

The head part is detachable monoblock thermonuclear. It is possible to equip it with a multiple warhead with an individually targeted warhead with a power of 150 kt, unified with the R-30 “Bulava” warheads, numbering from 3 to 6. In addition, the 15Zh65 missile of the Topol-M complex can be equipped with a maneuvering warhead.

The complex of missile defense breakthrough means consists of passive and active decoys (LCs) and means of distorting the characteristics of the warhead. False targets are indistinguishable from warheads in all ranges of electromagnetic radiation (optical, laser, infrared, radar), make it possible to simulate the characteristics of warheads according to almost all selection criteria in the extra-atmospheric, transitional and significant part of the atmospheric section of the descending branch of the flight trajectory of missile warheads, and are persistent to the damaging factors of a nuclear explosion and radiation from a super-powerful nuclear-pumped laser, etc. For the first time, decoys have been designed that can withstand super-resolution radars. Means for distorting the characteristics of the warhead consist of a radio-absorbing (combined with heat-shielding) coating of the warhead, active radio interference generators, aerosol sources of infrared radiation, etc. In addition, improved engines of the sustainer stages made it possible to reduce the duration of the active flight phase of the Topol rocket by 3-4 times compared to liquid rockets of the previous generation.

The Topol-M missile is operated in the stationary DBK 15P065 and mobile DBK 15P165. For placement in the silo version, converted silos 15P735 (ICBR UR-100UTTH) and 15P718 (ICBR R-36M2) are used. The 15P065 complex includes 10 silos and one highly protected command post 15V222. In a silo launcher, the Topol-M missile is installed in a metal transport and launch container, unified for both types of silo launchers.

The mobile-based Topol-M missile is placed in a transport and launch container made of fiberglass, on a self-propelled eight-axle chassis MZKT-79221. The weight of the launcher is about 120 tons, width 3.4 m, length 22 m. The chassis provides exceptional maneuverability and maneuverability for its size. To launch a rocket, the launcher is not fully suspended, which makes it possible to achieve stability even on soft soils, and the launch itself can be carried out from anywhere in the basing area.

The Topol-M missile is being created as a modernization of the RS-12M ICBM. The conditions for modernization are determined by the START-1 Treaty, according to which a missile is considered new if it differs from the existing one (analogue) in one of the following ways:
number of steps;
type of fuel of any stage;
starting weight by more than 10%;
the length of either the assembled rocket without the warhead, or the length of the first stage of the rocket by more than 10%;
the diameter of the first stage by more than 5%;
throw weight of more than 21% combined with a change in first stage length of 5% or more.

Thus, the mass-dimensional characteristics and some design features of the Topol-M ICBM are strictly limited.

The stage of state flight testing of the Topol-M missile system took place at 1-GIK MO. In December 1994, the first launch took place from a silo launcher. April 28, 2000 The State Commission approved the act on the adoption of the Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile into service by the Strategic Missile Forces of the Russian Federation.

The 15P065 combat stationary silo missile system includes 10 15Zh65 missiles in silo launchers 15P765-35 and one unified command post of the 15V222 type with high security (located on a suspension in the silo using special shock absorption). The use of a “mortar launch” made it possible to significantly increase the resistance of the 15P765-35 silo to PFYAV due to the removal of elements of the 15P735 launcher necessary for the gas-dynamic launch of 15A35 missiles, the use of an improved shock-absorbing system and filling the released volume with heavy reinforced concrete of special grades. Work on the conversion of silo launchers 15P735 to accommodate Topol-M missiles was carried out by the Vympel Experimental Design Bureau under the leadership of Dmitry Dragun.

In accordance with the START-2 treaty, the conversion of 90 15P718 silo launchers of 15A18 missiles to the 15Zh65 missile is allowed, provided that guarantees are provided that it is impossible to install heavy ICBMs in such a converted launcher. Refinement of these silos includes pouring a 5m layer of concrete at the bottom of the shaft, as well as installing a special restrictive ring at the top of the launcher. The internal dimensions of the heavy missile silo are excessive to accommodate the Topol-M missile, even taking into account the filling of the lower part of the launcher with concrete. The mass of the Topol-M rocket, its outer diameter and length are approximately 5, 1.5 and 1.5 times less than the mass-geometric dimensions of the 15A18M rocket, respectively. In order to preserve and use the heavy silo units and systems during conversion, it was necessary to carry out a number of comprehensive studies of the silo loading scheme during nuclear attack and launch, the maintenance system, the influence on the gas dynamics of the launch of the large internal free volume of the shaft, the restrictive ring and the massive and large-sized roof, issues of loading the TPK with a rocket in the launcher, etc.

Resource-saving technology when creating serial PU 15P765-18 provides for the preservation of the protective roof, barbette, drum, mine shaft with bottom directly at the facility and the reuse of most of the equipment of the 15P718 PU - protective roof drives, shock absorption systems, elevators and other equipment - after their dismantling , sending to manufacturing plants, carrying out RVR at factories with testing on stands. The problem of implementing resource-saving technology is closely related to the establishment of new warranty periods for reused equipment, including mine shafts. Placing Topol-M missiles in existing silos modified in this way can significantly reduce the costs of developing and deploying the complex. Successful flight tests allowed the State Commission to recommend the adoption of a silo launcher, converted from a silo launcher, into service as part of the missile system heavy missiles and already in the summer of 2000, such a complex was adopted for service by decree of the President of the Russian Federation.

The 15P065 combat missile system with the 15Zh65 light-class solid-fuel ICBM, which has increased resistance to PFYV, ensures the launch of the missile without delay for the normalization of the external situation during repeated nuclear impact at neighboring DBK facilities and when a positional area is blocked by high-altitude nuclear explosions, as well as with minimal delay during non-destructive nuclear impact directly on the launcher. Stability of PU and mine command post to the PFYAV has been significantly increased, there is the possibility of launching from the constant combat readiness mode according to one of the planned target designations, as well as operational retargeting and launching according to any unscheduled target designation transmitted from the highest echelon of control. The likelihood of launch commands being transmitted to the control panel and silos has been increased. During combat duty, the 15Zh65 missile is located in a metal transport and launch container. TPKs are unified for both types of silos

The transport and installation unit of the complex, created at the Motor Design Bureau, combines the functions of an installer and a transport and reloading machine.

Mobile-based Topol-M ICBMs are deployed as part of the DBK 15P165. The mobile-based 15Zh65 missile is housed in a high-strength fiberglass TPK on an eight-axle MZKT-79221 (MAZ-7922) cross-country chassis and is structurally practically no different from the silo version. The weight of the launcher is 120 tons, length - 22 meters, width - 3.4 meters. Six pairs of eight wheels are swivel, providing a turning radius of 18 meters. The ground pressure of the installation is half that of a conventional truck. The PU engine is a V-shaped 12-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine YaMZ-847 with a power of 800 hp. The depth of the ford is up to 1.1 m. When creating systems and units of the DBK 15P165 “Topol-M”, a number of fundamentally new technical solutions compared to the Topol complex. Thus, the partial suspension system makes it possible to deploy the Topol-M launcher even on soft soils. The maneuverability and maneuverability of the installation have been improved, which increases its survivability. "Topol-M" is capable of launching from any point in the positional area, and also has improved means of camouflage against both optical and other reconnaissance means (including by reducing the infrared component of the complex's unmasking field, as well as the use of special coatings that reduce radar visibility).

The control system is inertial based on the on-board central control system and a gyro-stabilized platform. The complex of high-speed command gyroscopic devices has improved accuracy characteristics; the new on-board computer has increased productivity and resistance to the effects of PFYA, aiming is ensured through the implementation of autonomous determination of the azimuth of the control element installed on a gyro-stabilized platform using a ground-based complex of command instruments located on the TPK. Increased combat readiness, accuracy and continuous operation life of on-board equipment are ensured.

High support characteristics of the 15Zh65 missile high level resistance to the damaging factors of a nuclear explosion was achieved through the use of a set of measures that had proven themselves well during the creation of the R-36M2 (15A18M), RT-23UTTH (15Zh60) and RT-2PM (15Zh58) ICBMs:
use of protective coating new development, applied to the outer surface of the rocket body and providing comprehensive protection against PFYV;
application of a control system developed on an element base with increased durability and reliability;
applying a special coating with high content rare earth elements;
the use of shielding and special methods for laying the onboard cable network of the rocket;
introducing a special program maneuver for a missile when passing through the cloud of a ground-based nuclear explosion, etc.

Successful measures were taken to reduce the flight duration and reduce the altitude of the end point of the active part of the rocket's flight path. The ICBM also received the possibility of limited maneuver in the active part of the trajectory, which can significantly reduce the likelihood of its destruction in the most vulnerable, initial phase of the flight. According to the developers, the active flight phase (launch, operation of the sustainer stages, disengagement of combat equipment) of the Topol-M ICBM is reduced by “3-4 times” compared to liquid-fueled ICBMs, for which it is approximately 10 minutes.

Type of warhead: detachable monoblock thermonuclear with a high-speed, high-level resistance to PFYV, warhead. In the future, it is possible to equip the missile with a maneuvering warhead or a multiple warhead with a number of warheads from 3 to 6 (prospective warheads with a capacity of 150 kt for the MIRV IN are unified with the warhead for the D-19M complex with the R-30 Bulava SLBM). The first test launch of a mobile version of the Topol-M ICBM, equipped with MIRVs and individually targeted warheads ( official name new rocket - RS-24), took place on May 29, 2007 from the Plesetsk cosmodrome.

It should be noted that the ICBM warhead was created with maximum use developments and technologies obtained during the creation of warheads for the Topol ICBM, which made it possible to reduce development time and reduce cost. Despite such unification, the new warhead is much more resistant to PFYV and the action of weapons based on new physical principles than its predecessor, has a lower specific gravity, and has improved safety mechanisms during storage, transportation and being on combat duty. The new warhead has an increased coefficient compared to its predecessor beneficial use fissile materials and is historically the first domestic warhead for ICBMs, the creation of which took place without testing parts and assemblies during full-scale nuclear explosions.

The characteristics of the Topol-M missile system can significantly increase the readiness of the Strategic Missile Forces to carry out assigned combat missions in any conditions, ensure maneuverability, secrecy of actions and survivability of units, subunits and individual launchers, as well as reliability of control and autonomous operation for a long time (without replenishment inventories of materials). The aiming accuracy has been almost doubled, the accuracy of determining geodetic data has been increased by one and a half times, and the preparation time for launch has been halved.

The re-equipment of the Strategic Missile Forces units is carried out using existing infrastructure. Mobile and stationary versions are fully compatible with the existing combat command and control system. The warranty period for the operation of the 15Zh65 ICBM is 15 years (according to some data - 20 years).

Whole head part Topol-M missiles can be replaced with a multiple warhead carrying three independent warheads, which makes the missile invulnerable to any missile defense system - it is impossible to intercept three warheads at the same time. The current treaties do not allow Russia to do this, but the situation can change at any moment...

In the process of designing systems and assemblies of the autonomous launcher (APU) of the Topol-M complex, many fundamentally new technical solutions were used. For example, the partial suspension system makes it possible to deploy the Topol-M APU even on soft soils. The cross-country ability and maneuverability of the launcher have also been improved. All this significantly increases the maneuverability, secrecy of actions and survivability of launchers and missile units in general.

This alone makes Topol-M ultra-modern weapons XXI century, capable of reliably protecting our country from external aggression, and, if necessary, become a weapon of inevitable retribution.

CHARACTERISTICS - “Topol-M”
Maximum firing range, km 11000
Number of stages 3
Launch weight, t 47.1 (47.2)
Throwing mass, t 1.2
Rocket length without head part, m 17.5 (17.9)
Rocket length, m 22.7
Maximum case diameter, m 1.86
Head type monoblock, nuclear
Warhead equivalent, mt 0.55
Circular probable deviation, m 200
TPK diameter (without protruding parts), m 1.95 (for 15P165 - 2.05)
MZKT-79221 (MAZ-7922)
Wheel formula 16×16
Turning radius, m 18
Ground clearance, mm 475
Weight in loaded condition (without combat equipment), t 40
Load capacity, t 80
Maximum speed, km/h 45
Range, km 500

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